Hey Brothers and Sisters
I would like to ask any of you if you work for a Fire Department anywhere in the state that have strict tatoo policies in place.
I work for OCFRD and they have one.
I am asking on behalf of a paramedic classmate of mine who was a Navy Corpsman detached with the Marines.

I have many friends in the Military, and I know military and tatoos are a common thing AND in the Fire Service.

I believe our department's policy prohibits exposed tatoos below elbow and tatoos creeping up above the collar of your shirt.
Obviously, FFs hired on in my department in the past have been grandfathered in, and this policy will apply towards those applying for my department in the future.

This classmate I know has tatoos below the elbow. This person is concerned that it may complicate things in getting hired somewhere.

Thanks.

08-19-2009, 02:02 PM

WD6956

Most of my expierience with Tattoo policies comes from Police departments. But it's usually the same idea.

Case in point, the NYPD. There new policy is nothing below the elbows or on the neck. They are not saying you cannot have tattoos there, BUT, if you choose to get them there or they are hiring you now, you either have to wear long sleeve shirts or use cover ups such as tattoocamo or Tat Jackets. The Tat Jackets would be my choice. I have a bunch of freinds who wear them. They make them in all shades.

As far as worring about getting hired because of arm tattoos? Simple, wear long sleeves to the interview. Problem solved. In fact, for a first interview where looks are important, you should be wearing a dress jacket anyhow! It's sad, but people do judge a book by it's cover. Have your buddy wear a long sleeve shirt/jacket and go in and get hired because of who he is and what he knows, not how he looks. Once he is hired, he needs to only worry about following department guidelines and using the coverups.

I have 14 tattoos. None are above my chest or below my elbows, so im not worried. But there is no reason to fear getting a job in a field that frowns upon them. The policy is simply don't have them visible, there is no criteria that says you cannot have them at all.

I'm in NC, not FL, but here's what when down in our Dept years ago....

We hired a former Marine who was tatted up good, everywhere, even the inside of his lower lip was tatted USMC.

One training officer started giving him crap about it, and asked him to wear makeup on his arms on a daily basis. Later a Deputy Chief heard about it. He told the recruit "We hired you for who you are, not what's painted on you." The Deputy told the recruit that he didn't want to see anymore makeup on his arms covering his tatt's, and then told the training officer to chill out.